ThinkCapital Review
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ThinkCapital rules, prices and payouts, checked on September 14, 2026 against thinkcapital.com.
- Market
- Forex
- Programs
- Lightning, Dual Step Intraday, Dual Step Swing, Nexus, Bolt Instant Funding
- Accounts up to
- $100K
- Platforms
- ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT5
ThinkCapital sells prop trading programs for forex, indices and metals, with ThinkTrader, TradingView and MT5 as platforms. Its Terms name TFG (Payments) Limited, with a registered office at 85 Great Portland Street in London, as the contracting company, and its marketing describes the firm as "broker-backed by ThinkMarkets". There are five programs: Lightning (one step), Dual Step Intraday and Dual Step Swing (two steps), Nexus (three steps) and Bolt Instant Funding, which has no evaluation.
The rules change a lot from one program to the next. Dual Step Intraday bans news trading and weekend holding while Dual Step Swing allows both by default, and the drawdown trails on Lightning and Bolt but is fixed on Dual Step. The weak spot is the paperwork: on Dual Step and Bolt, the program pages and the Terms of Service give different numbers or wordings for several core rules.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Dual Step Swing allows news trading and weekend holding by default, with a maximum loss fixed to the starting balance.
- Lightning and both Dual Step programs state no consistency rule, and every evaluation needs only 3 minimum trading days.
- All programs are one-time fees, and the Terms say the evaluation fee is reimbursed if your funded account is in profit and all terms are met.
- Scaling on Lightning and Dual Step adds 20% to the account after a 10% return in three months, up to $1,000,000.
- Payouts run every 14 days, or every 7 days with an add-on on Lightning, Dual Step and Nexus.
- Bolt Instant Funding starts at a $2,500 account and has no monthly payout cap.
Cons
- Trustpilot currently shows a notice on ThinkCapital's page that "This company's rating is unavailable due to a breach of our guidelines" and that "We've removed a number of fake reviews for this company", while the firm's homepage still states "4.3 603+ reviews on Trustpilot".
- The Terms say the provider "is not authorised or regulated as a financial services firm or investment firm in any jurisdiction" and that no ThinkMarkets-group entity is a party to, or guarantor of, the contract, despite the "broker-backed by ThinkMarkets" marketing.
- The Terms let the firm decide "at its own discretion" what counts as a Forbidden Trading Practice. Consequences include removing trades and not counting their results in your profits, terminating your account and all accounts with affiliates, or cutting leverage to 1:5.
- The site and the Terms disagree on Dual Step's Phase 1 target and challenge drawdown, and on Bolt's daily loss basis, drawdown lock, scaling and news rule.
- Bolt's first payout needs 5 profitable days, at least 6% cumulative closed net profit and 14 calendar days, and Bolt doesn't allow weekend holding.
Discount code PFK
10% off, confirmed at checkout
ThinkCapital programs and prices
| Program | Accounts and prices | Profit target | Daily loss limit | Max drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightning | $5K: $59 · $10K: $99 · $25K: $199 · $50K: $299 · $100K: $499 | 10% | 3% (balance-based) | 6% |
| Dual Step Intraday | $5K: $59 · $10K: $99 · $25K: $199 · $50K: $299 · $100K: $499 | 9% (Phase 1) / 5% (Phase 2) | 4% (equity-based) | 7% (Challenge) / 8% (Funded) |
| Dual Step Swing | $5K: $82 · $10K: $138 · $25K: $278 · $50K: $418 · $100K: $698 | 9% (Phase 1) / 5% (Phase 2) | 4% (balance-based) | 7% (Challenge) / 8% (Funded) |
| Nexus | $5K: $39 · $10K: $79 · $25K: $139 · $50K: $199 · $100K: $349 | 7% (Phase 1) / 6% (Phase 2) / 5% (Phase 3) | 4% (Terms: balance-based) | 8% (Challenge) / 8% (Funded) |
| Bolt Instant Funding | $2.5K: $49 · $5K: $89 · $10K: $159 · $25K: $349 · $50K: $599 | None (no evaluation phase) | 3% (Bolt page: 'Equity based'; Terms: 'measured against balance') | 6% |
Lightning rules
| Rule | Lightning |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Trailing ('6% trailing, locked at initial balance once it grows by 6%') |
| Minimum trading days | 3 days |
| Consistency rule | None |
| Contracts / leverage | 1:30 |
| Profit split | 80% (90% with scaling or add-on) |
| Payout frequency | 14 days (7 days with add-on) |
Not clearly published by the firm: activation fee.
Dual Step Intraday rules
| Rule | Dual Step Intraday |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Fixed to initial starting balance |
| Minimum trading days | 3 days |
| Consistency rule | None |
| Contracts / leverage | Dynamic up to 1:100 |
| Profit split | 80% (90% with scaling or add-on) |
| Payout frequency | 14 days (7 days with add-on) |
Not clearly published by the firm: activation fee.
Dual Step Swing rules
| Rule | Dual Step Swing |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Fixed to initial starting balance |
| Minimum trading days | 3 days |
| Consistency rule | None |
| Contracts / leverage | Dynamic up to 1:100 |
| Profit split | 80% (90% with scaling or add-on) |
| Payout frequency | 14 days (7 days with add-on) |
Not clearly published by the firm: activation fee.
Nexus rules
| Rule | Nexus |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Terms: '8% Initial Account Balance' |
| Minimum trading days | 3 Days |
| Contracts / leverage | 1:100 |
| Profit split | Up to 90% |
| Payout frequency | 14 days (7 days add-on) |
Not clearly published by the firm: consistency rule, activation fee.
Bolt Instant Funding rules
| Rule | Bolt Instant Funding |
|---|---|
| Drawdown type | Trailing equity; Terms: trails high-water equity until first approved Pay-out Request, then permanently fixed at 6% of Initial Balance |
| Minimum trading days | 5 minimum profitable trading days before payout (Terms, first payout: also ≥6% cumulative closed net profit and ≥14 calendar days; profitable-day count resets after each approved payout) |
| Consistency rule | 20% best day cap |
| Contracts / leverage | Dynamic up to 1:50 |
| Profit split | 80% standard; 90% with scaling |
| Payout frequency | 14 days; no monthly payout cap; minimum Pay-out Request USD 100 (Terms) |
Not clearly published by the firm: activation fee.
Trading restrictions and platforms
- News trading: Lightning & Nexus: only with News Trading add-on (Terms: no trades from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after scheduled news, evaluation and funded). Dual Step Intraday: not allowed ('4-min window rule'). Dual Step Swing: 'Allowed by default without restrictions'. Bolt: Terms restrict 5 minutes before/after scheduled news unless News Trading Add-on purchased (Bolt page table: 'Not allowed')
- Weekend holding: Lightning: allowed; Dual Step Intraday: not allowed; Dual Step Swing: allowed by default; Nexus: yes (Terms); Bolt: not allowed
- EAs and bots: Terms: EAs, scripts or robots 'allowed by default on the MT5 platform' (support may request the EA file or proof of purchase; legacy accounts still need the paid EA add-on). Copy trading or following other users' signals prohibited; trades by several users on the same instrument and direction within one minute may be deemed coordinated. Another Terms passage says EAs are not allowed unless the risk team grants an exception in writing (see notes)
- Platforms: ThinkTrader, TradingView, MT5
- Instruments: Forex, Indices, Metals
Who ThinkCapital suits
ThinkCapital fits a forex, index or metals trader who knows their style and is willing to read the Terms of Service before buying. The five programs differ on news, weekends, how the daily loss is measured and whether the drawdown moves, so the right pick depends on how you trade.
Swing traders have a clear option in Dual Step Swing, which allows news trading and weekend holding by default. Day traders who close out before the weekend can look at Dual Step Intraday or Lightning. Bolt Instant Funding is for traders who would rather accept a trailing limit and stricter payout conditions than pass a challenge.
It's a weaker fit if you want one consistent rulebook. Several Dual Step and Bolt rules read differently on the program pages than in the Terms, and the firm keeps broad discretion over what counts as a forbidden practice. US traders should also know that transferring payouts to a ThinkMarkets personal account isn't available to US residents.
How the drawdown and daily loss rules work
On a $100,000 Lightning account you need $10,000 (10%) to pass. The daily loss limit is 3% measured on balance, so $3,000. The 6% maximum loss trails: your floor starts at $94,000 and moves up as the account makes new highs, and once the account has grown by 6%, to $106,000, the floor locks at the $100,000 starting balance. The page doesn't say whether the trail follows balance or equity.
Dual Step is fixed to the starting balance, which is easier to plan around, but the numbers depend on which document you read. On $100,000 the site sets Phase 1 at 9% ($9,000), Phase 2 at 5% ($5,000), a 4% daily limit ($4,000) and a 7% challenge maximum loss, a floor of $93,000. The Terms give 8% for the Phase 1 target and 8% of initial balance for the challenge maximum loss, which means $8,000 and a $92,000 floor. The funded maximum is 8%.
The two Dual Step versions also measure the daily limit differently. Intraday is equity-based, so floating losses on open trades count toward the $4,000. Swing is balance-based. If you tend to hold trades through deep pullbacks, that difference matters as much as the price.
On a $50,000 Bolt account, 3% daily is $1,500 and the 6% maximum is $3,000. The Bolt page calls the daily limit equity-based; the Terms say it's measured against balance. The point where the trailing limit stops is described three ways: locked at the initial balance once the account grows by 6% (program details), locked after the first withdrawal (size table), and trailing high-water equity until the first approved Pay-out Request (Terms). Until support confirms which applies, plan for the strictest one.
What ThinkCapital costs
Every program is a one-time fee; none is sold as a subscription. The table above shows list prices from the site's pricing table and "Buy for" buttons, not a loaded checkout total, so confirm the final amount before you pay. Use the code shown above at checkout.
Relative cost is clear enough. Lightning and Dual Step Intraday carry the same list price at every size, Dual Step Swing costs more than both, and Nexus is the cheapest evaluation at every size. Bolt costs more than a Lightning account of the same size, and there's no challenge to pass.
No activation fee is published for any program. The Terms say the evaluation fee is reimbursed if your funded account is in profit and all terms are met, and there's no refund on a failed challenge. Some features are paid add-ons: news trading on Lightning and Nexus, 7-day payouts, and one route to a 90% split. Check what they add to the total before you tick them.
Payouts, profit split and scaling
Lightning and both Dual Step programs pay 80%, rising to 90% with scaling or an add-on, every 14 days, or every 7 days with an add-on. Nexus is listed only as "up to 90%", so its starting split isn't clearly published. Where a rule asks for profitable days, a Profitable Day means at least 0.5% closed net profit.
Scaling on Lightning and Dual Step adds 20% to the account after a 10% return over three months, up to $1,000,000. Bolt's scaling terms conflict: the Bolt page says 10% profit across four payouts in two months gives +25%, while the Terms describe a one-time +20% after at least 10% closed profit, two months and three successful Pay-out Requests. The two documents also differ on Bolt's profit split, so get it confirmed.
Bolt's payout conditions are the strictest in the lineup. You need 5 profitable days, and the count resets after each approved payout. The first payout also needs at least 6% cumulative closed net profit and at least 14 calendar days. On $50,000 that's $3,000 of closed profit and five days of $250 or more. Requests start at $100, there's no monthly payout cap, and a 20% best-day cap applies.
Conflicting rules, Terms and risk signals
Trustpilot currently shows a banner on ThinkCapital's page that reads: "This company's rating is unavailable due to a breach of our guidelines." A second notice says: "We've removed a number of fake reviews for this company." ThinkCapital's homepage still states "4.3 603+ reviews on Trustpilot", which doesn't match what Trustpilot displays.
Under Regulatory Status, the Terms say: "The Provider is not authorised or regulated as a financial services firm or investment firm in any jurisdiction." They add that the contract "is solely with TFG (Payments) Limited and that no other ThinkMarkets-group entity is a party to, or guarantor of, that contract." Read the "broker-backed by ThinkMarkets" marketing with that in mind: ThinkMarkets is not a party to your agreement.
The Terms also say: "The Provider reserves the right to determine, at its own discretion, whether certain trades, practices, strategies, or situations are Forbidden Trading Practices". The listed consequences include removing those trades and not counting their results in the profits, canceling services, terminating the account and all accounts with affiliates, or cutting leverage to 1:5.
Two more rules read differently across documents. Bolt news trading is "Not allowed" on the Bolt page, while the Terms describe a 5-minute window around scheduled news that the News Trading add-on removes. On EAs, one Terms passage says they're "allowed by default on the MT5 platform" and another prohibits them "unless the risk team has granted such an exception in writing". Copy trading is prohibited, and accounts need at least one trade every 30 days.
Which ThinkCapital program fits which trader
Lightning suits a one-step trader who can make 10% inside a 3% daily limit and a trailing 6% floor. It has no consistency rule, allows weekend holding and caps leverage at 1:30. News trading needs the add-on; without it, the Terms bar trades from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after scheduled news.
Dual Step Intraday suits a day trader who avoids news and is flat over weekends, and who wants dynamic leverage up to 1:100 with a fixed floor. Dual Step Swing costs more but allows news and weekend holding by default and measures the daily limit on balance. On either, ask support whether the 9% or 8% Phase 1 target and the 7% or 8% challenge drawdown applies to your account.
Nexus spreads smaller targets over three phases, 7%, 6% and 5%, with a 4% daily limit, an 8% maximum loss, 1:100 leverage and weekend holding. It suits a patient trader who would rather take more steps than chase one large target. Its consistency rule, drawdown method and starting split aren't clearly published, so confirm them first.
Bolt Instant Funding, announced on the site banner as new, suits a trader who wants to skip the evaluation on accounts from $2,500 to $50,000. In exchange you accept a trailing 6% limit, a 20% best-day cap, no weekend holding and dynamic leverage up to 1:50. With conflicting wordings on its daily limit, lock, scaling and news rule, it's the program where written answers from support matter most.
Verdict
ThinkCapital makes sense for a forex, index or metals trader who wants a one-time fee and a program matched to their style: Dual Step Swing for news and weekend holds, or Lightning for a one-step challenge with no consistency rule. It's a poor choice if you want a firm whose pages, Terms and reputation signals line up. Trustpilot has made its rating unavailable for a guidelines breach, the Terms say the provider isn't regulated and no ThinkMarkets entity guarantees the contract, and the firm keeps wide discretion over forbidden practices. If you buy, get the Dual Step or Bolt rules that apply to you confirmed in writing first.
Discount code PFK
10% off, confirmed at checkout
Frequently asked questions
Is ThinkCapital legit?
ThinkCapital is an active firm whose contracting company is TFG (Payments) Limited in London, and the FCA and FINMA warning lists showed no entry for it on the check date. Its Terms say the provider “is not authorised or regulated as a financial services firm or investment firm in any jurisdiction” and that no ThinkMarkets-group entity is a party to, or guarantor of, the contract. Trustpilot currently shows a banner reading “This company’s rating is unavailable due to a breach of our guidelines” and a notice that it has “removed a number of fake reviews for this company”, while ThinkCapital’s homepage still cites “4.3 603+ reviews on Trustpilot”.
Can ThinkCapital remove trades or refuse profits?
Yes. The Terms let the firm decide, at its own discretion, whether trades, practices, strategies or situations are Forbidden Trading Practices. If it decides they are, it can remove those trades and not count their results in the profits, cancel services, terminate your account and all accounts with affiliates, or cut leverage to 1:5.
What is the ThinkCapital Dual Step profit target?
The Dual Step page lists 9% for Phase 1 and 5% for Phase 2, but the profit-target table in the Terms gives 8% for Phase 1. The challenge maximum loss also differs: 7% on the site and 8% of initial balance in the Terms. Ask support which figures apply before you trade.
Is ThinkCapital’s drawdown trailing or static?
It depends on the program. Lightning trails by 6% and locks at the initial balance once the account grows 6%. Both Dual Step programs are fixed to the starting balance. Bolt trails, but its program details, size table and Terms describe three different points at which the trailing stops.
Can you trade news with ThinkCapital?
On Dual Step Swing, yes, by default. Dual Step Intraday doesn’t allow it. Lightning and Nexus need the News Trading add-on; without it, the Terms bar trades from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after scheduled news. For Bolt, the page says news trading isn’t allowed, while the Terms describe a 5-minute window that the add-on removes.
How often does ThinkCapital pay out?
Every 14 days, or every 7 days on Lightning, Dual Step and Nexus with an add-on. Bolt pays every 14 days with a $100 minimum and no monthly cap, but the first payout needs 5 profitable days, at least 6% cumulative closed net profit and 14 calendar days.
Sources
- pricing
- rules
- rules
- rules
- faq
- terms
- company
- trustpilot banner
- regulator check (FCA Warning List) – no match
- regulator check (FINMA warning list) – no match
